14 Memorial Day Quotes To Honor Our Nation And Its Heroes This Holiday Weekend

The last Monday in May, otherwise known as Memorial Day, marks the end of a lovely three-day weekend filled with booze and barbecues. It is also a day for Americans to celebrate all the brave men and women who have died during military service since the birth of our nation. So before you get to planning your weekend getaway and loading up your BBQ playlist, remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice with some patriotic Memorial Day quotes.

I don’t come from a military-focused family, per say, but we have a history of service. A handful of my relatives — including my great-great grandfather, two great grandfathers, and two grandfathers — served in World War I and II, and Korea. And I knew a handful of people from my small town who enlisted after high school or college to pursue careers in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and other branches of our armed forces. It’s a hard life and possibly a dangerous one, which is why soldiers are worth celebrating.

So while you’re chowing down and enjoying the sunshine this weekend, take a few moments to reflect on all of the servicemen and women who have served our nation, dead or living. Happy Memorial Day everyone!

1. "Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country." — John F. Kennedy

2. "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." — Mark Twain

3. "How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!" — Maya Angelou

4. "There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America." — Bill Clinton

5. "True patriotism isn't cheap. It's about taking on a fair share of the burden of keeping America going." — Robert Reich

6. “It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.” — General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.

7. "Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay, but we can honor their sacrifice." — President Barack Obama

8. "A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." — Joseph Campbell

9. "America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand." — Harry S. Truman

10. "Only in America can someone start with nothing and achieve the American Dream. That's the greatness of this country." — Rafael Cruz

11. "America's present need is not heroics but healing; not nostrums but normalcy; not revolution but restoration." — Warren G. Harding